The field of stem cell biology is geared towards translation into clinical practice through in vitro tissue production and regeneration therapy. The discovery of neurogenesis in selected areas of the adult brain has revolutionized neuroscience. This discovery has overturned the central assumption that no new neurons were originated in the brain after birth, and provided the basis for understanding the molecular mechanisms of neural differentiation. Several in vitro models have been developed to investigate signalling pathway of neurogenesis regulation and cell fate specification. Massive propagation of embryonic cells into just the right type of phenotype of a neural progenitor cell or strategies for mobilizing endogenous neural stem or progenitor cells provide replacement therapies for brain injury resulting from stroke or neurodegenerative diseases. Such strategies are getting more important, since the development of ex vivo cultures of stem cells allows collection of multipotent cells from patients, their differentiation and transplantation into diseased areas.
Perspectives of Stem Cells - From tools for studying mechanisms of neuronal differentiation towards therapy by Henning Ulrich includes a chapter on mechanisms of neural induction in early embryos as well as a detailed discussion of changes in paradigms in view of the discovery of adult neurogenesis. Neuronal differentiation is detailed using the olfactory epithelium, one of the tissues bearing neurogenesis along life. In addition to chapters on therapeutic applicability of embryonic, very small-embryonic like, mesenchymal stem and neural progenitor cells, this book covers signalling mechanisms guiding induction to differentiation and selective achievement of specific phenotypes. Cell diversification of the neuronal system is explained using the example of neural crest cell differentiation. Alterations in genetic material, such as loss of chromosomes and retrotransposition, are discussed as possible mechanisms for cell diversification. Furthermore, fundamental aspects of stem cell biology and neurogenesis, such as the importance of proliferation induction, programmed cell death, as well as the function of glia in differentiation of stem cells and development of neuronal circuits, are also highlighted. The participation of cytoskeletal elements in cell polarization as prerequisites of asymmetric division and differentiation induction is discussed. Further topics include the analysis of extracellular signals, such as neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters, their receptor molecules and the propagation of these signals by intracellular signal transduction leading to activation of selective gene expression during differentiation. Rhythmic gene expression for activation and inhibition of Notch signalling is discussed as a mechanism for regulating the progress of neurogenesis. In vitro cultures of embryonic, mesenchymal and neural stem cells as well as mobilization of endogenous stem and precursor cells for brain repair and replacement therapy in neurological disorders are important issues of this book.
Each chapter provides an invaluable resource for information on the most current advances in the field and possible therapeutic applications, with discussions of controversial issues and areas of emerging importance. By providing an up-to-date and critical view of the state of Science, we hope that this book shall be a base for exciting scientific ideas regarding functions and therapeutic applications of stem cells in the adult brain. The book is directed to neuroscientists, physicians, students and all who are engaged and interested in the exciting and rapidly expanding field of modern neuroscience and stem cell biology.
Contents
- 1 Neural Induction
- 2 Neurogenesis: A Change of Paradigms
- 3 Neurogenesis in the Olfactory Epithelium
- 4 Cell Diversification During Neural Crest Ontogeny: The Neural Crest Stem Cells
- 5 Intermediate Filament Expression in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells and Early Embryos
- 6 Aneuploidy in Embryonic Stem Cells
- 7 Retrotransposition and Neuronal Diversity
- 8 Directing Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells into Distinct Neuronal Subtypes
- 9 Neurotransmitters as Main Players in the Neural Differentiation and Fate Determination Game
- 10 Rhythmic Expression of Notch Signaling in Neural Progenitor Cells
- 11 Neuron-Astroglial Interactions in Cell Fate Commitment in the Central Nervous System
- 12 The Origin of Microglia and the Development of the Brain
- 13 Tissue Biology of Proliferation and Cell Death Among Retinal Progenitor Cells
- 14 Potential Application of Very Small Embryonic Like (VSEL) Stem Cells in Neural Regeneration
- 15 Embryonic Stem Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
- 16 Functional Multipotency of Neural Stem Cells and Its Therapeutic Implications
- 17 Dual Roles of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Spinal Cord Injury: Cell Replacement Therapy and as a Model System to Understand Axonal Repair
- Index
Book Details
- Hardcover: 285 pages
- Publisher: Springer; 1st Edition (March 4, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 9048133742
- ISBN-13: 978-9048133741
- Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.8 x 1 inches